Khaberni - After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the Israeli forces are staying in southern Lebanon, US President Donald Trump expressed his confidence in his ability to resolve the issue of Israel's reluctance to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon.
Trump told reporters last night, Monday: "I am skilled at solving problems, and I solve them very quickly, including with Bibi (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu)".
This came after Netanyahu reiterated that Israel does not intend to withdraw its forces from Lebanese territory. In a joint statement with his Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and the army chief, he said, "The Israeli forces will continue to work to neutralize the threats facing the soldiers and citizens, demolish the terrorist infrastructure, and maintain the security zone in southern Lebanon".
They emphasized that "the security of Israeli citizens and their forces will remain the guiding principle that accepts no compromise".
A trust crisis
These statements came as US-Israeli relations undergo severe fluctuations, starting from the mutual trust initially after their joint attack on Iran to the public disagreements between Trump and Netanyahu on how to end the war that has been ongoing for four months.
Especially since Netanyahu and many Israelis saw the memorandum of understanding that Trump signed with Iran last Wednesday "as posing a risk by empowering a state they see as Israel's arch-enemy, and restricting their ability to respond to threats from Hezbollah, backed by Tehran".
They also felt that the alliance with the United States - which has long been the cornerstone of Israel's strategic approach - was under pressure, as polls showed increasing American dissatisfaction with Israel, and it seemed that their staunchest defender in Washington was also beginning to distance himself from them.
Described him as crazy
Alongside their concerns about drafting the agreement with the Iranian side, the Israelis were worried about Trump's insistence that Tel Aviv agree to a ceasefire with Hezbollah, and they were also concerned about the language he used in response to Netanyahu's opposition to the agreement, according to Reuters.
In recent weeks, Trump has called Netanyahu "a damn crazy person," rebuked Israel saying "you don't have to demolish an apartment every time you look for someone," and openly wondered about the possibility of Syria replacing Israeli forces in Lebanon.
Also, J.D. Vance, Trump's deputy, took a more critical tone, saying "Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who sympathizes with the State of Israel at this particular moment," adding in later statements that not every criticism of Israel should be considered anti-Semitic.
It should be noted that such sharp views emanating from the Republican Party, to which Trump belongs, cause particular concern among a number of Israelis, especially since American Democrats criticize Israel much louder than was the case in previous years.
